Variable direction of view (“VDOV”) endoscopes allow a user to change the endoscopic viewing direction without having to change the position of the endoscope itself. Such endoscopes are useful when the user wants to see structures which are beside or behind the distal tip of the endoscope, but cannot easily move a conventional endoscope shaft because of anatomical constraints or constraints imposed by other surgical instruments in the operative surgical field.
VDOV endoscopes are described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/169,290 entitled “Solid State Variable Direction Of View Endoscope”, filed on Jul. 8, 2008, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/354,801 entitled, “Wide Angle Flexible Endoscope”, filed on Jan. 20, 2012. The contents of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/354,801 and 12/169,290 are hereby incorporated into this application by reference in their entirety.
In this application, solid state variable direction of view (“SS-VDOV”) technology is defined in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/169,290 entitled, “Solid State Variable Direction Of View Endoscope.” “Deployable” may be defined as being operationally separatable from a conventional endoscope shaft and/or surgical delivery tool, able to be inserted through a patient's skin and into a patient's body, and in communication with a camera control unit (“CCU”) and/or in communication with an interface module.
Endoscopic surgical systems using VDOV endoscopes are desirable because such systems afford surgeons greater flexibility in their procedural approach. Such systems include: U.S. Pat. No. 7,355,625 Mochida et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,003 Iddan; U.S. Pat. No. 6,902,528 Garibaldi et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,782 Adair; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0152539 A1 Ghabrial et al.; and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0318758 A1 Farr et al.
None of these prior art references teach a deployable endoscopic imaging module or endoscopic imaging system that may be manipulated through direct contact force, mechanical linkage and/or magnetic force. Furthermore, none of these prior art references teach a deployable endoscopic imaging module or endoscopic imaging system equipped with SS-VDOV image navigation features and software.
Furthermore, none of the prior art references teach a deployable endoscopic imaging module having image navigation software and SS-VDOV technology that can be incorporated into a housing sleeve for performing surgery through a patient's skin.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a deployable endoscopic imaging module or endoscopic imaging system that may be manipulated through direct contact force, mechanical linkage and/or magnetic force. It is also desirable to provide a deployable endoscopic imaging module or endoscopic imaging system equipped with SS-VDOV image navigation features and software.
It is further desirable to provide a deployable endoscopic imaging system having image navigation software and solid SS-VDOV technology that can be incorporated into a housing sleeve for performing surgery through a patient's skin.